Kuaför ve Güzellik Salonlarında Çalışanların ve Hizmet Alanların Hijyen ve Bulaşıcı Hastalıklara İlişkin Bilgi Düzeyleri

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge level of hygiene and infectious diseases among the employees and clients of the hair and beauty salons. This study has been designed in a descriptive and cross-sectional manner. The study population was composed of 94 hair and beauty salons (30 from Pursaklar district and 64 from Sincan district) which were registered with the Hair and Beauty Salons and Nail Bars Chamber of Tradesmen of Ankara. Eighty-four of these hair and beauty salons were reached within the study, and 105 salon employees and 31 clients took part in the survey. Data for the study were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 107 questions that were developed by the researcher. Of the questions, 21 were about respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics and health story (gender, age and receiving regular health checks, etc.) and the rest were associated with their knowledge of hygiene and infectious diseases (24 were hygiene-related and 62 were infectious diseases-related). The study data were transferred to a computer and analyzed using SPSS software, version 21.0. Frequency data were presented as number (n) and percent (%) in the evaluation process. According to the research findings, slightly more than half of the hair and beauty salon employees (55.7%) do not wash their hands before and after each client, and 36.1% of them do not use disposable towels for each client. Of the saloon employees, 31.7% thought that there was not any risk of communicable diseases and 17.3% stated that they did not know whether there was a risk of communicable diseases related to their work. Only 27.9% of the salon employees have received hepatitis B vaccination. It has been determined that the clients have more knowledge about the diseases that are transmitted by contact than other types of infectious diseases likely to be contamination at the salons. Lice (87.1%) and ringworm (87%) rank first among these diseases. Moreover, the study has found that blood-borne diseases are the conditions that the clients have the least knowledge of among infections with a risk of a transmission at the salons. Hepatitis A (29%), HIV (41.9%) and Hepatitis B (51.6%) take place among them in order. The results of the present study show that the knowledge of hygiene and possible occupational health risks among hairdressers, beauty salon employees and clients is not at an adequate/desired level. The study recommends that in-service training programs be delivered to the hair and beauty salon employees to develop occupational hygiene and enhance their knowledge of infectious diseases in the workplaces. The clients need to be informed about the conditions of salon hygiene and infectious diseases.